Are Weight Distribution hitches and sway control sometimes a bad idea?

[paulk]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Searched Volvo XC-90 hitch on etrailer.com and found they offer one by Curt.
It says:

• Receiver opening: 2" x 2"
• Rating: Class III
  • Maximum gross trailer weight: 6,000 lbs
  • Maximum tongue weight: 900 lbs
  • Not rated for use with weight distribution systems
• Limited lifetime warranty

Interesting. Ok, so still no WD allowed, but I'm surprised that it would allow 900lb on the tongue since the vehicle manual says 500lb. I would have thought the rear springs, or the amount of weight transferred off the front wheels would have been the limiting factor. This implies that the limiting factor is the hitch receiver or the connection to the vehicle on the factory provided option.

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Trade you my 2008 RAV4 Sport for your XC-90. I'll throw in the WDH.

RAV4 + WDH + Escape 17B... now there's a deal that might be worth considering

[paulk]

Originally Posted by paulk

Interesting. Ok, so still no WD allowed

I should add that I'm not looking for a WD solution anymore for this vehicle. I'm mostly convinced now that I shouldn't try to use my existing factory hitch with WD, and I don't think it makes sense to go through the trouble of replacing the hitch that I've already paid for. I'll stick with the regular hitch and just drive a little slower.

Happy to continue the discussion though in case others find it useful.

[float5]

Despite what Glenn quoted above, etrailer elsewhere recommends a trunnion weight distributing hitch for an XC 90.

By the way, anyone looking at such information needs the manual for that model for that year. The information on Toyotas is all different depending upon which model and which years.

[thoer]

Originally Posted by float5

By the way, anyone looking at such information needs the manual for that model for that year. The information on Toyotas is all different depending upon which model and which years.

Or in my case above, even the correct year and model manual is inaccurate.

[David H]

Originally Posted by paulk

I should add that I'm not looking for a WD solution anymore for this vehicle. I'm mostly convinced now that I shouldn't try to use my existing factory hitch with WD, and I don't think it makes sense to go through the trouble of replacing the hitch that I've already paid for. I'll stick with the regular hitch and just drive a little slower.

Happy to continue the discussion though in case others find it useful.

Great plan! I'm sure you will find it's just fine, then you will wonder why you even worried about it. By experience, towing my 17B with my prior 2013 Honda Pilot and now the Touareg for >12,000 km I wouldn't 'ever' consider adding a WDH.
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[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by paulk

Ok, so still no WD allowed, but I'm surprised that it would allow 900lb on the tongue since the vehicle manual says 500lb..

The total trailer weight ratings are different, too - the hitch allows half a ton more than the vehicle.

I'm not surprised at all. The hitch is rated for 900 pounds of tongue weight, but you can't use that capacity because the vehicle is rated for 500 pounds. It is completely normal for hitches to have ratings which are different from the vehicle (usually higher than the vehicle), and like any chain, the usable capacity is the that of the weakest link (lowest rating).

Originally Posted by paulk

I would have thought the rear springs, or the amount of weight transferred off the front wheels would have been the limiting factor. This implies that the limiting factor is the hitch receiver or the connection to the vehicle on the factory provided option.

I don't see that implication at all - the limitation could be the rear suspension, weight transfer, vehicle structure, or anything else that hasn't occurred to us. If some hitch manufacturer designs a Class IV hitch for a car which has a zero tow rating, that doesn't necessarily mean that there's no good place to fasten a hitch; it doesn't change the manufacturer's reason for their limits at all, and the existence of an overweight aftermarket hitch doesn't invalidate those limits of the vehicle.

If the assumption is that the XC90 is capable of safely and reliably of towing a 6000 pound trailer with 900 pounds (!) of hitch weight, and the limit is the factory-supplied hitch, then I don't see any justification for that assumption. Factory hitches are usually (although not always) designed to match the capacity of the vehicle; there's no reason for them to be the limitation.

Originally Posted by paulk

I'm mostly convinced now that I shouldn't try to use my existing factory hitch with WD, and I don't think it makes sense to go through the trouble of replacing the hitch that I've already paid for.

Makes sense... especially since replacing the hitch still won't make the situation for WD any better. The Curt hitch doesn't even appear to mount properly to the vehicle - the Cequent (Draw-Tite) design is much better, and almost certainly more like Volvo's design.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by float5

Despite what Glenn quoted above, etrailer elsewhere recommends a trunnion weight distributing hitch for an XC 90.

Yes, because it's hard to make money not selling product.

Actually, eTrailer's page of products for the 2017 XC90 does not include any WD products. Same for 2016. If you do a Google search for "XC90 trunnion" (for example) you can find pages that looks like they were written specifically to recommend various WD systems for the XC90; however, if you construct the right URL you can have that site generate a similar page for any vehicle, including an eTrailer page recommending a 12,000 pound rated WD system for a Toyota Prius... which is clearly ridiculous.

You can even make a page which recommends one of the hitches made to fit the XC90 as appropriate for a Toyota Prius. Hey, this is better: according to eTrailer, the 20,000 pound capacity hitch for a Ford F-450 is made for a 2017 Smart fortwo! Man, those Mercedes people really build a tough small car...

I'm sure that eTrailer does not actually recommend any WD for the XC90. It's just an unfortunate combination of web site design and search engine behaviour. What you're supposed to do is select a vehicle, then work your way down through corresponding products. This is a good warning for anyone tempted to draw conclusions from what they find in a Google or similar search of equipment at eTrailer for any vehicle.

[float5]

In other words, a lot of places recommend anything for everybody, hehehe, no matter how bad of a fit? Well, if they can sell it.

[rbryan4]

And, when all else fails, don't go with the site that sells the hitch, go with the vehicle manufacturer recommendations.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

And, when all else fails, don't go with the site that sells the hitch, go with the vehicle manufacturer recommendations.

Toyota would recommend their OEM hitch, which was Class 2 for my RAV4 and cost substantially more than the aftermarket hitch that was Class 3 for WHD. So, I don't buy that advice.
After all, the vehicle manufacturer is also trying to sell you something.

[thoer]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Toyota would recommend their OEM hitch, which was Class 2 for my RAV4 and cost substantially more than the aftermarket hitch that was Class 3 for WHD. So, I don't buy that advice.
After all, the vehicle manufacturer is also trying to sell you something.

And Toyota says if I tow more than 5000# with my 5000# max towing rated Highlander that I should use a WDH to do so...